Naraku's Revenge
by Kakashis-First-Kiss
Summary: Naraku isn't happy with Inuyasha or Sesshomaru. So, he pits them against each other by dangling their father's third and final sword before them. Sesshomaru, however, isn't impressed. His attention turns to the wind sorceress eyeing him. SesshomaruXKagura
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'd like to set a few ages…Rin is sixteen, Jaken is immortal and irrelevant, Sesshomaru is immortal, slightly irrelevant, and somewhere in his twenties in human years. Inuyasha and the rest are pretty much irrelevant right now, and I will clear up their ages at a later date, if and when it matters. Now, on with the fic!**

Jaken was pacing. Again.

Rin watched him, amused, as his staff clicked across the ground, his mutterings never ceasing. "Oh, Sesshomaru-sama, where have you disappeared to now? It's been days and I have a teenage girl on my hands! Oh, whatever to do, whatever to do! The least you could have done was tell me where you were going! You know I worry for your safety, my lord! I couldn't imagine-ow!"

Rin had finally had it and chucked a rock at the muttering frog-demon. "Jaken, as much as I respect you, you are getting on my nerves."

Jaken rubbed his head ruefully. "Goodness, has my lord's cold and ice-heart nature rubbed off on you, girl?"

Rin smiled and leaned back, settling against her double-headed dragon's side. "I wish," she murmured. "Someday, I wish I could be as powerful as him. If anything of his rubbed off on me, I'd be grateful."

At first, Jaken didn't know what to say. Then, he gave a haughty sniff and turned away from Rin, folding his arms across his chest. "Dear girl, someday, you will learn," he said huffily.

Rin smiled faintly. "Learn what?" she teased. Jaken had probably only said that because he couldn't think of a better comeback.

Jaken stuttered for a moment before lowering his head in defeat. Rin smirked in satisfaction. "Ah, I thought so," she said mildly, and turned her gaze to the skies. Rin was sitting against Ah-Un's side, one leg bent and the other outstretched. One arm lay across her bent leg, and the other hung at her side. Her head was turned up and to the left, and she seemed to be smiling at something far off in the distance. Jaken huffed irritably and turned away, then sat down a few feet away against a tree. The rest of the time passed in relative silence between the two, the breaking being Ah-Un snorting or shaking his head. His bridle jingled pleasantly, and Rin thought it sounded like wind chimes.

"Ack! Sesshomaru-sama-! Ow, what was that for?!"

Sesshomaru had expertly nailed Jaken in the forehead with an impressively-sized rock, sending the reptile's eyes into large spirals. Rin shot to her feet, bowing to Sesshomaru and moving swiftly out of the demon's way. Clearly, he was not happy. And, sure enough, Sesshomaru swung up onto Ah-Un and glanced at Rin. The look in his eyes was not his normal disinterested calm, but a murderous fury kept in check only by the lack of aggravating events so far.

"Are you coming?"

Rin nodded and swung up behind Sesshomaru, sparing Jaken a passing glance. "Are we taking him?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. Preferably not."

Rin sighed and tossed another rock. "Jaken, come on," she prompted, waiting for impact. "Sesshomaru-sama's leaving."

Sure enough, the ploy had Jaken up and running, and he caught Ah-Un's tail as the two-headed dragon rose into the air, Sesshomaru goading him on mercilessly. Rin knew better than to speak to Sesshomaru now; she would probably get tossed from Ah-Un. Jaken, however, seemed to have a bone to pick with Sesshomaru, and Rin knew he was going to speak his mind.

Despite probably dearly regretting it later.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" Jaken gasped. "I hate it when you run off like this without telling us where you are going! I worry about you! Suppose you were in trouble, and no one knew where you were! The last time you did this-_yack!"_

"The only thing in trouble," Sesshomaru growled, lifting Jaken into the air by his neck, "Is you, little toad." With that, Sesshomaru threatening held Jaken out over Ah-Un's side. Rin sighed and gently placed her hand on Sesshomaru's arm.

"Sesshomaru-sama," she said soothingly, "It would be a waste to kill him. I mean, you would have to do all the tedious cooking, cleaning, and even a bit more fighting-all by yourself! I mean, I'm here, but I'm only human, and I can only do so much. Besides, if you kill him, who will you throw rocks at? You must admit, you could play dodgeball with him as recipient or ball, and he still wouldn't die! And he'd always come running back to you. You have to admit, Sesshomaru-sama, not many care for you as Jaken and I do."

Sesshomaru reluctantly tossed Jaken back to Rin with an easy flick of his wrist, not saying a word. Jaken righted himself with a sniff, grumbling, "I'm not sure whether to thank you or yell at you, too. I swear, sometimes I have to be that boy's father!"

Rin smiled. "And I'm his mother. I still do laundry around here, so unless you want to be sleeping in your own blood, I advise you to shut up until Sesshomaru-hime has himself in check."

Sesshomaru turned around and glared, but Rin only flashed him a grin and waved. Sesshomaru huffed in annoyance and turned back around.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Rin sat in front of a fire, poking at a few fish in a pan on the fire. Sesshomaru was sitting in a tree, looking disgruntled and pensive. Jaken was still working off nervous energy-by pacing.

"Dinner!"

Rin picked up the pan, moving it away from the fire and placing it down on a tree stump near Sesshomaru. "Sesshomaru-sama!" she called up to him. "Would you like some?"

Sesshomaru glanced down. "How much is there?" he asked slowly.

"Enough for each of us to have two," Rin replied. "It's salmon," she added, in hopes of getting Sesshomaru to eat. "I know you like that…"

Sesshomaru jumped down from the tree, landing in front of Rin. "What, you don't get hungry eating so little?"

"You don't?"

Rin looked at Sesshomaru with an even gaze, then wrapped the fish in a bit of seaweed she had cooked with it. "Consider it sushi," she said, handing the wrap to Sesshomaru. The demon murmured his thanks and retreated to behind a tree, only his far right side visible to Rin and Jaken. Rin smiled and wrapped her own fish and Jaken's, handing the reptile his food and settling down on the opposite side of Sesshomaru's tree.

Scratching noises startled Rin.

She jumped up and turned around, only to see Sesshomaru sharpening his claws like a cat on the tree. She sighed as acid began eating away at the tree and moved. Jaken shivered and turned away.

"You ate that too fast," Rin warned. "If you vomit, don't blame me."

Sesshomaru snorted and another sharp scratch, like nails on a chalkboard, was heard. "Don't patronize me tonight," he growled, and slowly began turning around in circles, trampling down twigs, branches and leaves. Finally, Sesshomaru settled again, turning onto his side and pillowing his head on his arms. Rin smiled and continued eating her dinner, taking several minutes to just stare around into space. It seemed Sesshomaru couldn't sleep-his eyes repeatedly opened and closed, and he turned over occasionally, growling. Rin finally stood up and walked over to Sesshomaru, sitting down behind him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

Sesshomaru released a long, low growl, deep in his throat. But it wasn't a warning growl: no, Rin knew what those sounded like. This was a growl of frustration. Rin knew that as well. Sesshomaru seemed reluctant to answer, but did. "Can't sleep."

Rin smiled. "Obviously!" she said. "But why? Got a lot on your mind?"

"Possibly."

Rin gave Sesshomaru a soft, comforting smile and began running her hand through his hair. "Want to talk?" she asked. "Might take a bit of weight off your shoulders. Or maybe you just need to relax."

Sesshomaru turned onto his stomach, putting his hands underneath his chin. "And you plan to help me…how?"

Rin shrugged. "Just talk. Get it out there and off your chest. Or, if you want, I could see if I can find some herbs for tea…"

Sesshomaru seemed skeptical, but took a deep breath and tried to be as vague as possible. Although Rin probably knew what he was talking about…she had been quite involved in the event, and, although young, it was probably seared into her memory forever. "My father…left one sword to my brother, one to me, and one to be destroyed. We thought that sword was destroyed, but…it has come back from the netherworld with a vengeance towards me and my brother stronger than ever. I heard about this from a priestess who sealed Inuyasha asleep for fifty years. She came to me, saying she needed me to get the blade under control."

Rin nodded. "Sounga," she said. "And, what did you say?"

"I told her I would return shortly with my answer. That damned blade needs both Tenseiga and Tetsusaiga to defeat it, and I don't know if I want to risk it. Also, it would involve that brat, Inuyasha. Filthy half-breed. I would need to subdue the blade as my father did, and of course, I have no idea how he did that."

Rin sighed. "That is a problem," she said. "But how did Sounga free itself?"

"Someone freed it," Sesshomaru said bitterly. "Some powerful demon who freed it, then lost control of it at the last second. It is bound to the demon who freed it at the moment, but it could release it at any moment."

Rin sighed and looked away, trying to think. She suddenly realized that her hands had been kneading at Sesshomaru's shoulders, trying to release the pent-up tension in the muscle. She hadn't heard Sesshomaru object, so she figured he was enjoying the treatment. Rin realized she had never touched Sesshomaru simply for the pleasure of touching him-she had always been treating his wounds, helping him with his armor and weaponry, the like. And while Sesshomaru was capable of doing it all himself, Rin had always liked being around him, and insisted upon helping him occasionally. Now, she was just sitting here with him, and…he was allowing her to touch him. It was interesting to Rin. It proved that Sesshomaru felt emotions every now and then, even if it was only stress or anxiety.

"I say, have Inuyasha there, just in case, and then try to take control of it yourself. That way, if you fail, neither Sounga nor Inuyasha will see that you were taking a precaution, and were only trying to trap Sounga. You lose no pride, you sustain no major injuries, and Inuyasha will probably be shown up. Any flaws?"

Sesshomaru exhaled through his nose. "Yes," he said. "One very major flaw." Rin cocked her head, looking at him curiously.

"We have no freaking clue where Inuyasha is."

OOOOOOOOOOO

Kikyo sat on the forest floor, contemplating Sesshomaru's words. _Return shortly with an answer, my ass. _Kikyo shifted her bow across her shoulder, and her quiver on her back. Where was he…? The demon who had freed the sword. The demon…Naraku. He had promised to be here ten minutes ago! Kikyo's eyes narrowed in frustration. She didn't like it when people-or demons-kept her waiting.

A rustle in the trees made Kikyo reach for her bow.

"Relax, Kikyo, it is I. I apologize for being late."

A man in a baboon pelt emerged from the tree line, and Kikyo relaxed her grip on her bow. "Naraku," she greeted coldly. "How uncharacteristic. You're late."

Naraku waved her off. "It was nothing. I ran into a bit of trouble confusing Inuyasha."

Kikyo sighed. "I told you, I'm only in it for Sesshomaru. If we can bend him to our will, I'll be happy."

"Still have feelings for him, mm?"

Kikyo glared at Naraku, clearly expressing her discontent. "That's none of the business. Has Kagura gone to Sesshomaru?"

"She has," Naraku replied. "And she will see to it that we get a favorable response from him."

Kikyou nodded once. "And then I'll go and reinforce the lesson. And you will make sure that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru each get to the Sounga at the same time? And also that you have it completely under control?"

Naraku nodded. "Kikyo, you must learn to trust me," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Now, come, we still need to work out the finer details of this."

Kikyo tried her best, but somehow couldn't bring herself to let her guard down around Naraku.

**A/N: Flames will be saved for winter and then used to keep my house warm and keep heating bills down. Play nice, and I'll play nice. Constructive criticism is appreciated and accepted with open arms, but nasty reviews are not. But by all means, let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for before reading:**

**-When you see a number, it refers to a corresponding number at the bottom of the page for explanation for something not all people might necessarily know.**

**-I have decided to leave Kagome out of this fic, since she is irrelevant, whiny, and refuses to die, although she should have done so in the first episode. My excuse is that she is back in her own time in a fight with Inuyasha.**

**-Inuyasha is around sixteen in human years; Sesshomaru is in his late twenties.**

**-Kikyo is the same age as Inuyasha; around sixteen.**

Sesshomaru sat in a tree, still brooding, when Rin woke up.

When she had gone to sleep the previous night, she had finally managed to coax Sesshomaru into a restless, deep, slumber, but he was asleep, and that was all she cared about. Rin had then settled down to get her own sleep, and fell asleep immediately. Sesshomaru, however, seemed to have only slept a few hours. Jaken was fussing over him, and his landing on Rin had woken her up.

"My apologies, Rin," Sesshomaru said dully. "I didn't mean to smear that vermin's slobber all over you, especially after you went to such lengths to make sure I was comfortable. On the other hand…this little pest did nothing but bother me since waking hour."

Rin smiled and sat up, stretching her arms above her head. "Well, Sesshomaru-sama, I hope you're feeling better. Would you like anything to eat?"

"No, thank you. I had something already."

"No, he didn't!"

"Shut up, Jaken!"

A tree branch flew like a spear through the air, narrowly missing Jaken's head. The reptilian yelped and ducked down, letting the branch pass over his head as Sesshomaru settled back against the tree trunk, looking rather moody. "I swear, he's anorexic," Rin muttered, crawling out of her sleeping bag. "Sesshomaru-sama, are we going back to the manor today?"

"If Jaken can get his froggy legs under control and move a bit faster packing up, hopefully we will make it by sundown."

"In such a wonderful mood," Jaken muttered. "Really, I worry when he's like this-I always worry he's in pain, and doesn't want anyone to see his weakness so he pushes them away-!"

"Jaken, shut up!" Rin groaned. "It's too early for you to be fretting over Sesshomaru-sama like a worried mother hen! He can take care of himself!"

"Thank you," Sesshomaru breathed. His head tipped back against the tree trunk, and his eyes closed. It was then that Rin noticed he was only half dressed: he was wearing his kimono and hakama pants, tied with his colored obi, (2) but his stomach guards, breastplate, and sword belts were all lying on the ground a short distance away. Rin slowly stood up, grabbing her own kimono from next to her bed and wrapping it around herself. She slept in the under layer, and wore the outer during the day.

Jaken went off, muttering to himself, as Rin got herself dressed and washed her hands and face in the stream a few yards away from the campsite. She came back with water for herself and Sesshomaru, being unable to locate Jaken. He was probably huddled in a bush feeling sorry for himself. Rin got out an apple from one of Ah-Un's saddlebags for her breakfast and tossed a pear to Sesshomaru. The fruit was quickly caught with a single hand, and Sesshomaru glanced down at Rin.

"You honestly expect me to eat this?"

"Of course!" Rin said. "If you aren't hungry, I expect you to eat it later. Your human form needs to nourishment, and I don't care what you say-huh?"

The pear was gone, and Sesshomaru had just spat out the pit. "Happy?" he mumbled. Rin smirked.

"To an extent," she said, watching as Sesshomaru wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "You shouldn't eat so fast. You'll make yourself sick."

Sesshomaru waved her off, leaping down from the tree he was seated in and landing gracefully on the ground a few feet away from her, next to the pile of his armor. Rin instinctively walked over to him and began helping him pile on the armor, working around the fur on his shoulder. Sesshomaru seemed indifferent to her, but deep down, appreciated her help. This armor was hard to manage, especially around Mokomoko (1).

Jaken burst from the tree line, screaming.

Rin squeaked and jumped back, and Sesshomaru went instinctively for his sword. Tokijin was drawn, and Sesshomaru's golden eyes immediately scanned the horizon for danger.

The flat of Tokijin smacked Jaken over the head.

"You fool!" he hissed, kicking the frog-like demon across most of the campsite. "Just what in all seven hells where you-?"

"Look up, Sesshomaru-sama!" Jaken gasped. "Above you; a demon!"

Sesshomaru humored Jaken, glancing up. Sure enough, a giant feather was headed straight for them-but Sesshomaru sensed only a slight demonic aura. His eyes narrowed, and he sheathed Tokijin.

"Idiot," he growled. "Next time, warn me when there's actually danger! That's Kagura, and she's from Naraku. Sent here most likely to pester me about that damn sword of my father's. Rin, kindly take care of giving Jaken a seizure while I attend to business?"

Rin smiled evilly, giving Jaken a cold grin to chill the hells. Sesshomaru walked away, tying his obi as he walked. Jaken shivered and cowered, shrinking away from Rin as the girl ominously cracked her knuckles.

"Um…Rin…?"

Kagura touched down just as Rin was getting down to her task at hand and Sesshomaru was finishing getting dressed. She smirked as she stepped off her feather, grabbing it out of the air and slipping it back into her hair as it shrunk back to normal size. "Well, judging from your earlier actions and words, I take it you know why I'm here."

Sesshomaru's face remained unreadable. "Maybe."

Kagura's smirk widened. "But, I have an underground offer-off the record books. Naraku is tricking you-he freed Sounga, and has total control of it. He just wants you out of his way. For some reason, he thinks you're in his way. And so, I have come to offer you a little token of gratitude in exchange for an alliance. Are you interested?"

Sesshomaru's face hardly moved, but one eyebrow rose. "Haven't we gone through this before?" he said tiredly. "I don't feel like doing your dirty work for you-not even for shards."

"But half of the jewel? And me? If Naraku is killed, I gain freedom and become your permanent ally. Plus, you could have whatever else he has on him: his reincarnations, shards, mansion, power-" Kagura grinned viciously. "Even Tetsusaiga."

At this, Sesshomaru's ears perked. "Tetsusaiga?" he murmured. "How does Naraku have this weapon in his hands?"

"He's manipulating Inuyasha in the same fashion, and he is having his most human incarnation, me, grab the sword and deliver I to him. I could always run it back to you-instead of Naraku. And I also know a way around the blade's aura that repels you. Another one of Naraku's minions has something that can cancel it, and I can steal that and have it here by the time your fingers reach the blade. Interested _now?"_

Sesshomaru remained skeptical. "You are promising quite a bit," he mused. "How can you prove to me that you are in possession of these which you promise?"

Kagura sighed. "I had a feeling you might ask that of me. Unfortunately, I can only offer you a promise, my word, and a gift." Kagura reached into her kimono and pulled out a small, silken purse, dangling from a leather tie. "These are three Shikon shards, which you may use in whatever fashion you may. Have fun, because those are free of charge."

"In other words, a bribe."

"Precisely. Now, I am in considerable danger doing this, so make a decision quickly. Or I turn right around and start whining to Naraku and playing the victim."

Sesshomaru snatched the shards from Kagura, something written deep into his face that even Kagura could not read. "Let Naraku come and try," Sesshomaru said menacingly. "That damn half breed had not even the courage to face Inuyasha. What makes you think he'll face me?"

Kagura flung her feather down in front of her, and it sprang into proper size. "Because you attacked me and stole the shards. And I'll be fighting you too."

Sesshomaru sighed as Kagura rose into the air, something in her eyes that Sesshomaru couldn't discern. He had never been much of one for human emotions, anyway. He turned around-

And almost ran over Jaken and Rin.

Rin finally grabbed Jaken and lifted him mightily into the air, drop-kicking him into the trees with Jaken howling all the way. Rin turned calmly around and began gathering the last of the supplies and loading them onto Ah-Un's back. Sesshomaru slipped something into one of the bags; Rin couldn't see it clearly, but she sensed it was very important. "Come," Sesshomaru said shortly, demonic aura rising up and curling into the air as purple wisps. "We're going the short way."

Jaken just managed to grab Mokomoko as he, Ah-Un, and Rin disappeared in a cloud of Sesshomaru's demonic aura.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Sesshomaru appeared perfectly in front of a huge mansion.

Rin would never tire of the majesty of the huge manor house that Sesshomaru had inherited from his father and mother. It was like a palace! Sesshomaru walked airily through the gates, Rin and Jaken right on his heels. Sesshomaru handed Ah-Un's reins to a bowing servant, but not before grabbing something out of one of the saddlebags. Rin noticed this, but held her tongue and said nothing. Whatever it was, Sesshomaru wasn't going to share. Sesshomaru swept into the manor, ordering servants around and going straight to his room. Rin decided to follow; Jaken did not.

"Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Rin, take the rest of the day off," Sesshomaru said softly. "You've pampered me enough these past few weeks. I've got others to do that now. Just treat yourself for once, alright?"

A smile broke out over Rin's face. "Okay!" she said brightly. "Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama!" she continued as she walked out of the room. Rin danced down the hall to her own room, leaving Sesshomaru alone, save for a few servants. Sesshomaru instructed them to draw a hot bath for him, then told others to prepare dinner for himself, Jaken, and Rin. Finally, he was alone in the room. Sesshomaru gave a sigh of relief and slowly, his clothes fell to the floor. The demon's full body was revealed as piece by piece of clothing hit the floor, pale skin tattooed and colored with the markings of the great dog demon. Sesshomaru's muscles ripped beneath satin skin, and his pants fell to the floor. All that was left was his boxers, which one demon in particular was waiting for-

"Why don't you come out, whoever you are, and I'll consider sparing your life in time to get dressed again?"

A figure rose from behind Sesshomaru's bed, illusion slowly fading away to reveal-

"Naraku," Sesshomaru growled. "Do I need to kill you so soon?"

"Now, now, Sesshomaru, much as I would love to have you writhing under me in pleasure, it was sheer luck that brought me here just as you were about to get naked. My, quite a suite: adjacent bathroom, a sleeping area and a sitting area…goodness, and the entire place is crawling with servants. You live quite well, no?"  
Sesshomaru turned to fully face Naraku, reaching for the sword he had dropped to the floor. Tokijin was removed from its sheath with the sharp rasp of steel on steel, and pointed it straight at Naraku, who had left his normal baboon skin behind for this mission. The tip of the sword touched Naraku's forehead, but, strangely, the demon didn't flinch. _A golem? _Sesshomaru thought. Most likely-Naraku would probably not want to risk his real body to Sesshomaru. He had proved many times before that he feared the demon lord more than life itself.

"I hear from Kagura that you have something of mine."

"She's working against you. Of course, we are going to accomplish nothing this way, since it is her word against mine. However, one life you control: the other, controls you."

Naraku smirked. "And of course, I don't think you expect me to believe you. Well, I'll be waiting in the hall. Once you finish cleaning up, I would appreciate it if you would hear me out."

Sesshomaru sighed and slightly relaxed his death-grip on Tokijin. "Very well," he said slowly. Abruptly, his blade plunged itself into Naraku's skull, and Sesshomaru let go of the blade to allow it to fall with Naraku's body.

"What was it you were offering me?"

**Notes for after reading: (1) Mokomoko is the fur over Sesshomaru's shoulder. It is actually part of his body, but I'm pretending it's not.**

**(2) Ever noticed how Sesshomaru's obi is tied in the front? Supposedly, only prostitutes do that. XD**

**A/N: Well, so far only positive, constructive, mature reviews. Let's keep it that way! I look forward to hearing your opinions!!**


	3. Chapter 3

Sesshomaru sank down into the hot water, moaning with pleasure as he did so. He had gotten several of his servants to relieve him of Naraku's golem, then went into the bathroom, closed the door, and stripped down to nothing. Sesshomaru settled in the water with his head and shoulders above it, arms on the edges of the tub. He knew there were servants outside the door, waiting for him to call for them, but respecting his wishes and privacy and remaining outside the bathroom. The servants also respected their own lives-none had the gall to be in the same room as Sesshomaru when so much as his obi hit the floor.

A knock on the door snapped Sesshomaru back from his hot-water induced daydream.

"Who is it?" Sesshomaru called. Whoever it was better have a good reason for disturbing him!

"Someone is here to see you, my lord. What should I tell them?"

"Tell them to either prepare to wait a while, or come back some other time," Sesshomaru muttered. "There is no way I am giving myself a hernia forcing myself to move another inch other than to make sure I'm not sitting in blood or demon bowels."

"I-It's the sorceress, Kagura, my lord," the servant protested. "She insists it's urgent-"

"My word is final, no matter the identity of my visitor."

"Hai, Sesshomaru-sama."

Sesshomaru could hear footsteps pattering away, and then his bedroom door opening and closing softly. He sighed with relief and tipped his head back, wetting down all of his hair and washing it out. Sesshomaru just sat in the water for a while, surrounded by candles, incense, and the pleasing aroma of the rose petals floating in the water he bathed in. Sesshomaru could feel himself unwinding; his muscles uncoiled, and his mood even sweetened a bit. By the time Sesshomaru found the energy within himself to get out of the water, his skin was beginning to wrinkle from the moisture and his hair was floating as much as it could behind him. Sesshomaru grabbed a large towel from next to the tub and dried himself off, wrapping a silken kimono around his figure. He used the towel to dry his hair, then dropped it on the floor and walked out of the bathroom, leaving it to his servants to clean up. He walked out into the bedroom, grabbing a clean set of clothes from the tall dresser on the far wall of the room. He didn't plan on doing anything particularly requiring effort for Kagura-he would settle for the kimono he usually wore, but without the hakama pants. The kimono reached his ankles, and he could live with a pair of sandals. One of his servants handed him a colorful obi, which he tied around his waist in a simple bow. Sesshomaru stepped into a pair of bamboo sandals near his door on his way out, accepting Tokijin and Tenseiga from a servant and sliding both swords into his obi. Tokijin was his true weapon; Tenseiga was more a reminder of power and status. Sesshomaru was rarely seen without either, despite his obvious disdain for Tenseiga and his lack of reliance on Tokijin.

A harsh blow to the back of the head sent Sesshomaru flying.

Sesshomaru crashed into the wall of the room he had just entered, and was immediately kicked in the gut. The demon raised a hand and caught his attacker's foot, twisting it sideways and bringing the person down to the floor. Sesshomaru unsheathed Tokijin and stood up, pointing it down at the person underneath him.

"Show yourself!" he demanded, rising to his full height. "Who are you, and what do you want from me?"

The figure on the ground turned over, smirking. Sesshomaru grit his teeth in frustration. Naraku. "I should know by now," Sesshomaru growled, fangs dripping his sarcasm, "that a mere hanyo is no threat to me. Damned half-breeds: thinking they're so on the same level as a yokai, just because you have some of our power. Rise, hanyo, and at least die with some dignity."

Naraku rose, still smirking. "My dear Sesshomaru," he whispered, taking a step back from the angry demon and folding his arms across his chest. His dark hair was strewn across his shoulders and back, and he seemed rather pleased with himself. "You have no idea what you are up against." Sesshomaru caught the flick of Naraku's finger before a tentacle slipped out from Naraku's robes and shot towards Sesshomaru at almost blinding speed. Sesshomaru chopped it in half, Tokijin reveling in the blood that poured from the injury. But another tentacle was heading for Sesshomaru, and this one caught him around the mouth. Naraku tightened his grip on Sesshomaru, using the limb as a gag to keep the demon quiet. Sesshomaru could feel more striking at his hands, trying to bind him fast. But what Naraku had forgotten was that Sesshomaru was much bigger than he was-literally. Even in human form, Sesshomaru was tall and weighed almost three hundred pounds from mass and muscle alone. And he had more weapons, even built into his body. Sesshomaru turned in a circle, cutting everything in his way. He forced Naraku back, and also made him release every contact he had with him. Sesshomaru knew that Naraku would start with the toxic vapors any second now; he was getting desperate. And sure enough, green-tinged gas began leaking from Naraku's severed limbs, causing Sesshomaru to bring his sleeve up and over his nose. Any of that inhaled could cause many a problem later on. Sesshomaru attacked with Tokijin, savoring the feel of metal scraping against skin as he narrowly missed Naraku's shoulder. Blood spurted from a shallow wound that Naraku clutched at, gritting his teeth with the anger he felt. Sesshomaru took the opportunity to strike, and Tokijin slipped easily into Naraku's fake body.

"You may have won this round," Naraku growled as the life drained from the golem, "but I assure you, Sesshomaru, you will be mine!"

A young woman on a feather glided into the room, taking it into hand as she landed on the ground in front of Sesshomaru. The demon kicked Naraku's lifeless body over to her, saying, "I believe this belongs to you."

Kagura grinned. "Well, it seems Naraku has been giving you trouble," she said. "I can take care of that."

"So can I," Sesshomaru snarled, "and it would take very little effort. So I suggest warning your master about that little problem, because there is a very simple solution to all your problems: I can kill it. Whatever it is."

Kagura smiled. "Indeed, you may," she said slowly. "But, on the other hand, we can benefit from each other. You can kill Naraku and free me, and I can provide you with weapons, powers, and service. I will work for you, so long as you treat me fairly and allow me to keep my heart between my lungs."  


Sesshomaru's face remained smooth and impassive. "Well, that can be arranged," he said slowly. "But, I do expect from you everything you have offered thus far."

Kagura bowed slightly. "Nothing less," she said, rising again. "Now, if you will excuse me, I must make arrangements for you and Inuyasha to be in the same place at the same time as Sounga."

Kagura gave a full, dramatic bow and lifted up onto her feather, leaving Sesshomaru with the remains of Naraku.

He called for a few servants to take care of it, only offering a tiny bit of explanation: "She had annoying company."

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Inuyasha was in a tree-upside down.

Kikyo found this increasingly amusing the longer she watched Inuyasha try to free himself-and he still had no idea that it was her fault. He was still blaming Shippo, and screaming at the fox-boy to come out and right him. Kikyo finally had enough of Inuyasha's suffering and emerged from the bushes, smirking like the devil herself.

"K-Kikyo…?"

Inuyasha stopped struggling for a moment, staring at the priestess. Her smirk only widened, and Inuyasha fell to the ground with an impressive _thump! _Kikyo stepped over to him, bending over to help him up. The hanyo stood up slowly, wincing in pain from where he had fallen awkwardly to the ground. Inuyasha stared, dog ears twitching. "Kikyo…" he whispered. "What are you doing here?"

Kikyo stepped back once Inuyasha was standing and replied, "Naraku is going to go after your friend, Miroku, soon. I figured you would want to take him out some time soon. It seems Naraku is a bit worried about whether or not Miroku really intends to kill him. Or really, can. And Naraku plans to kill Miroku. He says he wants to finish the work he started years ago with Miroku's grandfather."

Inuyasha sighed. "And why do I not believe that?" he asked sarcastically. Kikyou reached into her quiver and pulled out an arrow with a few hairs stuck to the head.

"Who do you smell on this arrow?"

Inuyasha leaned forward and took a sniff. "Sesshomaru," he said slowly. "Why?"

Kikyo's eyes narrowed. "Because he's enlisted the help of Sesshomaru to accomplish this."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "That bastard!" he spat. "How do you know this?!"

"Naraku tried to get me to help. You must hurry, Inuyasha, to kill Naraku and beat back your brother."

Inuyasha's golden eyes narrowed. "Fine," he said. "But just to kill Sesshomaru!"

Kikyo nodded briskly, and turned and walked away. But as she walked, her firm mask of determination began to wear down. _Naraku, _she thought menacingly, _you better have what you promised!_

OOOOOOOOOOO

Sesshomaru slept very well that night.

Amidst the mounds of cushions, pillows, and blankets, Sesshomaru lay on his side, silver hair taking up the rest of the king-sized bed behind him. The demon lord slept in nothing but a pair of boxers-no one dared to walk in on him and touch the covers over his waist, let alone move them. Right now, the sheets had slipped down to pool at Sesshomaru's sculpted hips, and the blankets were in exactly the same place. The sheets were a deep mahogany that Sesshomaru missed, and the blankets a dark, dark, wine. Many of the pillows stacked behind Sesshomaru were the same deep red as the blankets, and scattered among them were black ones and blood red ones. The framework of the bed was a dark brown, a rich wood engraved and carved to perfection-and Sesshomaru's lofty standards. Sesshomaru was picky about just about everything-perfection wasn't good enough.

Sesshomaru woke up to sunlight filtering in through a sheer drapery over enormous double windows with a window seat underneath them. He sat up, yawning and covering his mouth with one striped hand. Sesshomaru shook himself, stretched, and swung his feet over the edge of the bed, sitting for a moment while his body got used to actually being in an awakened state. Sesshomaru reached over, grabbing a silk kimono from next to his bed and sweeping it up and around his shoulders. The red silk settled beautifully, and Sesshomaru tied it with a thin sash in a simple bow. He stepped into the same pair of bamboo sandals he had worn last night to see Kagura, and made his way down to the kitchen for something to eat. Rin was already there, and seemed to have breakfast for him.

"Rin, you shouldn't have," Sesshomaru greeted, as Rin handed him a plate of food. The girl smiled and sat down with her own breakfast, across from Sesshomaru at the low oak table. The cushions here were red as well, and had gold edging. Sesshomaru picked up a pair of chopsticks and promptly dug into the breakfast Rin had made: bacon and an omelet. Oh, how long had it been since he had had a hot breakfast? Ages. Unless, of course, he took the trouble to cook the rabbit before tearing its fur off and sinking his fangs into its flesh and roughly tore the meat off…

"Enjoying that?"

Sesshomaru nodded and took another bite of the eggs. "Rin, I honestly did not know you could cook this well," he said. Rin shrugged.

"I live don my own for a while. I had to learn at some point."

Sesshomaru gave a small hum of affirmation and continued to eat. The two passed the rest of the meal in silence, until finally, Rin broke it. "Sesshomaru-sama," she started, "Are you going to be leaving again soon?"

Sesshomaru sighed and set his chopsticks down on his empty plate. "Possibly," he answered evasively. Rin gave him a look that clearly said _don't lie to me, and give me a straight answer!_

Sesshomaru sighed. "Yes, I am going. But it should only take me a few days to get there, accomplish what I need to, and return."

Rin sighed and finished up her own breakfast. "May I come?" she asked, standing up and taking both plates to the sink. "I'd really like to…"

"I'm not sure," Sesshomaru said, standing up. "Although I thank you for the offer. I'll see what happens, okay?"

Rin sighed, but new there was really only one answer to Sesshomaru: "Hai, Sesshomaru-sama. I'll miss you, though."

Sesshomaru knew she would, but also knew he needed to take control of Sounga-and then use it to swipe Naraku's filthy head from his conniving body. Oh, his blood would feel beautiful on Sesshomaru's talons…

Another day. For now, Sesshomaru had to make sure no one died while he was gone. He hated it when that happened!

**A/N: Perhaps you aren't aware, but I will only update this story if it gets one review per chapter. No averages. So, I better not see any zeroes in the review section of stats, or this can sit for a while! I don't want to do it, but I will!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Well, normally these are at the end, but…**

**I got somethin' to say!!**

**Okay, so, after ten months, one person has decided to review. Whoa! Must really like this story, huh? :) Well, I am so glad you decided to review, ****Anonymous****, (figures, right?) and I feel I owe it to you to update this. Problem is, it's been so long, I barely remember where I was going with this! Ah!! But, don't worry: I've still got the gist deep in the cobweb-covered file cabinets of my brain, so I can pry open the rust-covered drawer and give you this. Someone else review, please?!!**

Sesshomaru was not in the mood for any distractions.

As soon as he had finished gathering his things, piling on armor, and taking along some extra weapons and poison antidotes to pacify Rin, Sesshomaru walked right out the front door of his extravagant dwelling and took Ah-Un's reins from one of the servants waiting there. He swung up into the saddle easily, and turned Ah-Un away from the gates. His heels touched the dragon's sides; a puff of smoke ensued from the right head's nostrils, and then, the dragon took off. Sesshomaru didn't bother to look back when he heard Jaken screaming at him from behind. The little toad wasn't of much use on this little adventure, and Sesshomaru got the distinct feeling he would be irritated enough without Jaken bringing him down further. Dealing with Naraku and all the flirting girls was going to be torment. Ah, where was a very forward monk when you needed him?

Sesshomaru turned his face to the wind, ignoring the entire world and simply closing his golden eyes against it. Frankly, people just annoyed the crap out of him. Sure, he kept plenty around: but none of them got in his way, under his feet, in his face-most likely because they knew exactly what happened if they did. They wouldn't live to see tomorrow. Sesshomaru's hand instinctively fell to Tokijin's hilt as a soft pulse of demonic power wafted up through the air: it stank of ape. Sesshomaru's golden eyes narrowed in anger, which Ah-Un sensed. The two-headed dragon gave an awkward, mid-air buck, and Sesshomaru responded by placing a magnificent kick to the dragon's sides. Ah-Un shook one of his heads, but complied with Sesshomaru's more-than-clear message and moved on. Sesshomaru's eyes finally dropped from the clouds to the ground, searching for the figures he knew were lurking below. He got the feeling someone was aiming a poisoned arrow at him right now, and just let go. Moments later, he would hear the sinister whistle, and get splashed with the poison, it passed so close-

Feathers exploded next to him.

Sesshomaru put aside his anger, deciding it was better than the aforementioned poisoned arrow. He began guiding Ah-Un downwards in slowly-narrowing, slowly-dropping circles. He was trying to get close enough to the ground to actually see something below. Ah-Un flicked his tail, signaling his annoyance to Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru offered the dragon a reluctant pat as compensation, and tried again to drop lower. Another feather bomb exploded, and by then, Sesshomaru had had enough.

Ah-Un was thoroughly confused, suddenly relieved of the burden of his rider. He slowly flew in lumpy, lopsided circles, finding a safe place to land and wandering around, slightly confused as to what he was expected to do. He heard voices, and travelled towards them. Sure enough, they were looking up, pointing and gasping as a silver-haired figure catapulted downwards several yards away. Ah-Un recognized his master's scent on the wind, and paused a few yards away from the people there. That was strange: one of the figures was dressed like a baboon, and yet, his scent was human and demon. A hanyo, then? The female, too, was a mixture of human and demon, but she at least appeared true to her nature. She appeared human, save for her piercing red eyes. Ah-Un shook his head, the buckles on his bridle jingling softly. Still, the figures took notice of him. They were too busy focusing on Sesshomaru. Ah-Un wasn't concerned: his master could take care of himself, and there was usually a method to his madness.

Usually.

This time, though, Sesshomaru had acted purely out of frustration. And now, the yokai was plummeting towards the ground, hearing _now _the gasps of, "He jumped!" _Of course I jumped, _Sesshomaru thought to himself. _Idiot half-breeds. Filthy scum of this earth. I, unlike you, can survive if I fall two feet._

Sesshomaru landed gracefully on top of a tree, swords barely shifting with the fall. Sesshomaru then disappeared into the lush green of the tree's leaves, re-appearing down on the ground. He shook the leaves out of his hair, carelessly flicking it back over his shoulder and picking a few twigs out of the fur at his shoulder. He was quite irritated to find that those he sought were not even ten yards in front of him. Great. He jumped for nothing, then! Well, he had gotten their attention. It was good enough for him. "Perhaps a better signal can be arranged?" he said dryly, weaving elegantly through the trees to stand before Naraku and Kagura. "I don't appreciate being attacked with feathers."

"Get stuck in your hair?" Kagura sneered. A scathing glare resulted in a hasty apology, and one decidedly quieter wind sorceress.

Sesshomaru returned his gaze to Naraku, seemingly ignoring Kagura at the moment. "I believe you have something for me?" he said slowly. Sesshomaru didn't waste time. Skip the pleasantries, introductions, and whatever else one may feel necessary. Sesshomaru didn't even have a deadline, and he wanted this done as fast as possible.

Naraku shifted uncomfortably. "I have the sword Sounga, it's true," he said, seemingly through gritted teeth and much anger. "But it has been sealed inside an unbreakable seal. You were there when it was sealed away again: what happened to it?"

Sesshomaru felt a snicker rise to his lips. "You were the one who called it back up," he said. "You tell me."

Naraku expressed genuine shock at this. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play games with me, stupid hanyo," Sesshomaru threatened, anger creeping into his voice anew. "I do not have time for this."

Naraku shifted again. It seemed he didn't know what to do at this point. Sesshomaru had called his bluff, and he was out of options. There wasn't much saving grace falling from the heavens, either. Naraku glanced at Sesshomaru, searching the demon's porcelain features for a hint of mercy. There was nothing to indicate that Sesshomaru would spare Naraku for his deceit, and he was swiftly growing impatient. Naraku turned his gaze to Kagura; the woman barely spared him a shrug. She made it very visible, as well, with no hint of subtlety. Sesshomaru fixed Naraku in his killing stare, waiting for an answer.

Rustling behind them saved him.

Naraku felt all the tension suddenly leave his body as more time was bought. But then, his heart just flat-out stopped beating. Who should appear behind him, but Inuyasha and Kikyo. Oh, just wonderful. Now, all they had to do was speak more than two words to each other, and they would figure it all out! Naraku had wanted to get the brothers together to kill each other, but that was when he and the sword swapped places! Sounga needed to be there, without him! Kikyo took one look at Sesshomaru, and immediately ceased speaking to Inuyasha. Inuyasha, on the other hand, picked up right where she had left off.

"Sesshomaru!" he cried. "I'll kill you!!"

"I'm sure you will," Sesshomaru said gently. "Just like you did the four and a half times you said that, and tried. And failed."

"How does one half-threaten you?!"

"I gave up on listening halfway through your latest spiel."

Inuyasha went straight for Tetsusaiga. The sword transformed in his hands into their father's fang once again, leaving Sesshomaru to draw Tokijin. Sesshomaru, on the other hand, looked rather bored and fed up with proceedings as he drew his sword. The thin, perfectly sculpted blade shimmered in the light filtering through the treetops, gleaming with a threatening light. Sesshomaru gave Inuyasha a bored, tired look. "Now, if you're going to make a serious effort this time, I will gladly push you out of my way. Again."

Inuyasha only seemed further incensed by Sesshomaru's words. He charged his elder brother with a primal screech, swinging the blade in a rather obvious overhand chop. Sesshomaru slid out of the way of the blade, not even sparing a single hair to Tetsusaiga's blade. "You bore me, brother," Sesshomaru said, swinging Tokijin up and around. Inuyasha suffered a cut to the shoulder and a scratch across his cheek. "Shoo, shoo," Sesshomaru said, swinging another terrifying blow at Inuyasha. "Your older brother has business to attend to."

"I'm sure," Inuyasha said, rushing in yet again, "that you'd be better off if I took care off that for you!"

"So you can steal another of father's swords?" Sesshomaru sneered. "Over my dead body. Or yours!" Poison talons swooped in from nowhere; Inuyasha barely dodged them. Sesshomaru elegantly pivoted, stabbing with his sword from almost behind Inuyasha. Inuyasha, too, moved in to stab at Sesshomaru. The difference was, Sesshomaru took the care to punch Inuyasha's blade out of the way with his free hand. Inuyasha took a deep gash to the side; he was lucky he wasn't completely impaled on Tokijin. Sesshomaru was left with a small scratch across his knuckles. Inuyasha faltered as Sesshomaru's blade drew a long line in his pale skin, opening his side as easily as a hot knife slid through butter. The cut was made so cleanly, so easily, that Inuyasha hardly registered the sword's cut until full seconds later. Sesshomaru gave another elegant pivot, and promptly punched Inuyasha out of the way. Snickering slightly at the blood on his blade, he bent slightly and wiped the blade on the grass. The silver shone in some places with a splotchy red sheen, dulled slightly by the residue of hanyo blood. Sesshomaru sheathed his sword, ignoring the spasming Inuyasha off to the side.

"Naraku. Where were we?"

Kagura moved too fast for Sesshomaru to get to her; another feather bomb exploded, right in front of him, streaming from a near-invisible fiber of down. Kagura's enormous feather could be seen rising up into the air seconds later, both herself and Naraku on its surface. The wind sorceress was grinning. Sesshomaru growled softly, reaching for Tokijin again. The blue lightning he summoned began to dance across the blade, threatening to be unleashed. Sesshomaru felt the power seep into his hands, and was about to release it-

Something fell from the feather.

Sesshomaru halted the Dragon Strike, reaching out with one hand to catch the falling object. It was a tiny silken pouch, simply glowing with the energy aura of Shikon shards. Sesshomaru opened the pouch; sure enough, there they were, three more. And, sitting firmly underneath them, a single, small, white feather. _Think of me, _was burned into the back of the feather. Sesshomaru huffed slightly, seeing the words. _Either she's flirting with me again, _he thought dryly to himself, _or there's some hidden message, here. _He decided to find out later. Naraku had clearly intended to double-cross him, or use him to kill Inuyasha. Sesshomaru could appreciate the move and its audacity, but he would have done it a whole lot better. Sesshomaru sighed, closing the pouch again and sliding it deep into his robes. No sense in losing that, now. Sesshomaru turned, and glared at Kikyo. The woman was still standing where she had stopped when Inuyasha first confronted him. She looked slightly lost, slightly scared, and slightly angry.

And slightly like she wanted nothing more than to leap at him and just kiss him.

Sesshomaru arched a single eyebrow at her, silently asking for an answer as to why she was still standing there. The priestess's eyes narrowed, a slight pink tinge rose to her cheeks. "I'm waiting for you to go," she said, almost sounding disgusted. Sesshomaru's eyes held a sinister glint at this: he looked sickly amused.

"Tell me what you know about Naraku."

"He dresses up like a baboon?"

Kikyo couldn't even see Sesshomaru move; one second, he was several yards safely in front of her, the next, he was gone. Barely a whoosh of air followed his departure. Kikyo hurriedly turned around in a circle: she couldn't see him. Finally, she decided to just give up. If a demon didn't want to be found, she knew she wouldn't find him.

"I know, my dear Kikyo, that you are in league with him."

The soft voice met her ear so close, she could feel his breath. She found her own breath caught in her chest: Sesshomaru's fur gently touched her shoulder as he leaned closer, one hand coming to rest on her shoulder. "And I also know," Sesshomaru continued, whispering, "that you're interested in me." A more forceful exhale hit Kikyo's ear: a silent snort of laughter. Of course; Sesshomaru would never _actually _laugh. "Your scent, Kikyo: it betrays you. A dog knows when a female wants him as a mate. She gives off a certain smell." Sesshomaru leaned even closer, and Kikyo feared her lungs would burst. Having him so close…even she could smell him, with a nose merely human. He smelled like the forest itself, and slightly of dog. But it wasn't an unpleasant smell, like a wet dog in August. It was the earthy scent of a wild, untamed animal, the scent of fresh waters from the mountains and sharp winds from the east, of hardened clay, moist earth, and smoky fires. Kikyo could picture the forest itself just by his _smell-_

"And this female just happens to be leaking this smell like melted snow down the mountains."

Kikyo felt a blush rise to her cheeks: damn demons and their true forms! Why did he have to know?! She knew now that Sesshomaru was likely to kill her: it wasn't long before he realized she was plotting with Naraku. Her heart began to beat faster, and her breath finally came back. In deep pants, she heaved in mouthful after mouthful of oxygen, her body struggling to keep up with the heart she feared would explode.

"I assure you, I can offer you more than Naraku can."

And suddenly, his scent vanished.

Kikyo's heart slowly began to calm; her breathing began to even out. He had left behind only the traces of his voice: "He promised you me. I promise you freedom and a chance." Kikyo wasn't sure what to think. He should have killed her-everything in his character said he would. And he clearly knew: and yet, he didn't do anything? This had to be some joke. He was playing some sick game with them, wasn't he? Kikyo sighed, and glanced over at Inuyasha. The half-demon was lying in a pool of his own blood; oh, dear, she'd better see to that. Naraku wouldn't be happy if an important asset to his plan was killed. He might just bleed to death, poor hanyo. Kikyo slowly walked over to Inuyasha, and tried to see about healing him.

Unfortunately his silver hair didn't help her forget.

**A/N: Bwahaha. I updated. Now review!!**


	5. Chapter 5

Inuyasha wasn't sure what hurt more as he awoke: his side, or his pride. Sesshomaru had injured both very badly, and it wasn't helping that he had left his scent everywhere: including on Kikyo. The female crouched next to him, bent over him, trying to patch up his wounds as best as possible. Inuyasha was silently grateful to her for trying: the pain was slowly dulling from being stabbed repeatedly with swords and knives to just a dull throbbing, like the wound was being tapped with a dull hammer. Inuyasha groaned slightly upon waking: Kikyo glanced up at him, checking to see if he was conscious, and then returned to tending his wounds.

"Where…where's Sesshomaru…?"

"He left," Kikyo said, through pursed lips. "And Naraku fled, after Sesshomaru glared at him."

Inuyasha felt a snort escape his nose; the sudden spasm, however, split his side again with a fresh wave of pain. Inuyasha gasped, and felt his body spasm into itself. Kikyo's own worried gasp didn't help him. She bore down harder with her healing powers, trying to at least stop the vicious bleeding. "Once you're healed," she said, "I suggest training. Lots of it. Sesshomaru very easily could have killed you. You're lucky he's an easily bored individual."

Inuyasha closed his eyes, sighing and trying to exhale all of the stress in his body. He knew that the more he relaxed, the better off he would be. Kikyo sighed herself, and then poured even more attention into Inuyasha.

As if it would help her get her mind off his older brother.

Still, she had done her part. She had grabbed Tetsusaiga in the middle of the battle, as soon as Inuyasha had fallen unconscious and dropped the sword, and given it to Kagura, who would, in turn, give it to Naraku. Kikyo's eyes watered at the thought of betraying Inuyasha: but still, she couldn't hide the fact that she had done so, and for his brother's sake. Sesshomaru needed both blades to defeat Sounga, and Inuyasha would never try working with Sesshomaru again. The last time was a fluke: Inuyasha and Sesshomaru just _happened _to attack at the same time, and from relatively the same direction. Sounga just couldn't withstand both strikes at once. Kikyo sighed softly, willing away her tears. She couldn't afford to be soft, now. She had a job to do.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Sesshomaru-sama!"

"He's back? So soon?"

"Is he injured?"

"Of course not, it's Sesshomaru-sama!"

"Is he carrying the head of his adversary?"

"I don't see one…"

"He probably incinerated the corpse."

"Stupid, he dissolved it with his claws!"

Sesshomaru was greeted by thousands of eyes staring at him as he took Ah-Un down for a rather turbulent landing. The dragon stumbled a bit as Sesshomaru's weight was suddenly thrown off him; he stepped forward, shook his head, and snorted indignantly at Sesshomaru. The inu-yokai merely snapped back at him, flashing his teeth dangerously. Understandably, the servants around took this to be an indicator of Sesshomaru's mood, and backed away slowly. Sesshomaru thrust Ah-Un's reins at the closest servant, and walked towards his manor house with the grace and beauty of an entire flock of swans. The sparse welcoming party for Sesshomaru parted quickly and silently; a small bit of muttering could be heard here and there, but Sesshomaru ignored it. Base human nature could not be fought against. The inu walked swiftly through the crowds, keeping his aloof, holier-than-thou attitude as he ascended the steps to the front doors of his manor.

A lone woman stood in his way.

Sesshomaru's golden eyes narrowed at the sight of the woman sitting on a floating feather, leaning on one hand and resting the other on a wrapped parcel. "Welcome back, Sesshomaru-sama," Kagura purred, rising elegantly to her feet and bowing respectfully to Sesshomaru. "My time is short," she said, turning her back to him momentarily and picking up the wrapped parcel. "So I must do this quickly. Before Naraku realizes I have turned on him. The sword, my lord..."

Sesshomaru showed no reaction to her statement, other than single, perfect eyebrow arching towards his hairline. He did not reach for the wrapped sword just yet. "Do not dance around the point, Kagura," he said, voice dropping dangerously low. "My own hands cannot grasp the Tetsusaiga; that, we all know. How will you enable this arm to touch the blade?"

Kagura's smirk only grew. "I made a spell not to modify the arm, Sesshomaru-sama," she said, turning back to pick up the other wrapped bundle, "but the sword itself. See how I am able to hold it, and not be burned by its aura? I found a spell that Naraku was using to cancel out the purities in the Shikon shards he possessed. I modified it slightly, and cast it on the sword. Now, it has no barriers, and anyone may grasp it. I trust you to safeguard it better than Inuyasha."

"Speaking of," Sesshomaru said, untying the string around the package, "how did you steal the sword from him?"

"Kikyo delivered it to me as soon as Inuyasha lost his grip," Kagura said, shrugging. "I cast the spell behind Naraku's back, by sneaking off with it after the fight. I said I was meeting Kikyo for the sword. I had actually stashed it in a bush."

Sesshomaru sighed. "Risky," he said, but nothing more. Kagura took that as her cue to shut up and let Sesshomaru figure it out for himself, and stepped back to wait.

Sesshomaru pulled the cloth off the sword, revealing the pale sheath and the wrapped hilt. He reached towards it slowly, almost hesitantly, as if for fear Kagura might be lying. Feeling no resistance, and not even a tingle from the blade, Sesshomaru picked it up, carefully wrapping his fingers around it and lifting the elegant sword from its makeshift casing. The sword slid beautifully out of its sheath, blade shining and blazing brighter with every second Sesshomaru spent drawing it. Finally, when the sword was fully drawn, it was transformed. The blade simply enchanted Sesshomaru: he couldn't have ever imagined a more beautiful, more powerful tool than this. Tetsusaiga: the weapon that could incinerate a hundred demons in one pass. The master of this blade-now Sesshomaru-could take down an entire army with little more than a flick of his wrist.

"Amazing, Kagura" Sesshomaru whispered, for once, at a loss for words. "Your dedication is astounding. Perhaps…perhaps, I have judged you too harshly. Come with me, please, and we'll see about getting you situated in this house."

Kagura felt a huge smile suddenly light up her face. Sesshomaru trusted her now! And that had been the objective all along. Once Sesshomaru trusted her, it was all good from there. If she had the protection of the great inu-yokai, lord of the west, ruler of the three swords of supreme conquest…well! Even Naraku wouldn't mess with that! And now, with both Tenseiga ad Tetsusaiga hanging at his hip, Sesshomaru was almost unstoppable. Once he got a hold of Sounga, which should be easy for a demon of his caliber, Sesshomaru would be the greatest demon that ever lived, surpassing even his father.

And the reason for that would be choosing a demon mate.

Of course Kagura thought of herself: who better?! She had gone to the ends of the earth and back to please him, and she had earned his trust. Now, Sesshomaru wouldn't have the stain on his name like his father did, choosing a mortal woman as his soul mate, abandoning the demon woman who bore his first pup. No one dared mock Sesshomaru's father while he were still alive: but in death, a different story was told. Kagura saw Sesshomaru becoming greater than any demon ever was, and ever would be. He would protect her, free her from Naraku, and finally, after everything she had done for him, he would repay her by allowing her to bear his own pups. And they would both be the rulers of the west, and raise their offspring the same way. Princes and princesses of a truly worthy dynasty, one that she and Sesshomaru would found.

"Sesshomaru-sama!"

Kagura snapped out of her slightly-stretched fantasy to see Rin running down the halls, hurtling towards Sesshomaru with arms outstretched. The towering demon bent down, accepting Rin's welcome-back hug like she hadn't just come running at him full tilt. Kagura had to smile slightly at this; Rin wasn't a threat to her as far as winning Sesshomaru's attentions as a mate came. She was more his daughter, and Sesshomaru, however much he loved her, would probably never see her as anything more. One didn't mate with someone they had raised, and Sesshomaru disdained half-breeds. He would never sire one!

"Rin, is there a room ready?"

Rin glanced at Kagura, and Sesshomaru nodded once. Kagura envied their silent communication. She only wished she knew someone well enough to communicate with them without words. Well, hopefully that could happen for Sesshomaru as well. Rin could be like a little sister to her…Kagura couldn't help but imagine life as perfect. She had something to hope for, and she wasn't letting it go.

"Yeah," Rin answered, seemingly for Kagura's sake. "Kagura-san, if you'll allow me..."

Kagura felt a smile touch her lips, and gladly followed Rin down the hall and into a room off to the right. The room was of medium size, with a bed, a dresser, and a mirror arranged seemingly perfectly around the room. A large window, open and with the drapes fluttering in the wind, rested in the wall on the opposite side of the room from the door. Kagura smiled, stepping into the room.

"Tell Sesshomaru-sama his generosity is not wasted."

Rin smiled. "Will do," she said. "If you need anything, just let me know. I'll help however I can."

Kagura nodded. "Thanks," she said. "I'll find Sesshomaru-sama later. Is that okay?"

"It's fine," Rin said, still smiling pleasantly at Kagura. "But…ne, Kagura-san…can I talk to you…just for a minute?"

"Sure," Kagura said, a bit surprised. What could Rin possibly want to talk to her about? She couldn't imagine it had to do with Naraku: they all knew she despised him, and wanted nothing more than to have him die at her feet. It was probably about Sesshomaru. Kagura hoped it wouldn't come to drama between the two of them; she didn't want to have to hurt Rin, but she might have to if it meant making her see the truth.

"It's about Sesshomaru-sama."

Oh, here we go.

Well, just remain calm, and all will be fine, Kagura told herself. Just be civil, and as kind and gentle as possible. "Sure," Kagura said, trying to keep a bright face. "Here, sit for a second," she said, walking over to her new bed and sitting down at one end. Rin sat down on the other, and started almost immediately:

"Look, I know this is going to be a difficult adjustment for all of us, especially Sesshomaru-sama. It's going to be hard for him, having someone he cares about so close-"

"Huh?" Kagura was instantly confused. "You're not talking about me, are you?"

Rin laughed. "Come on, Kagura-san, you're not stupid, and you don't have knotholes for eyes. Sesshomaru-sama cares about you a lot! Why else would he accept your offers of help, and even take you under his protection and right into his house? He's barely known you…what, a month, and you're already here? Sesshomaru-sama only took me in because I was a little child, and unable to care for myself. But, now, I can, and I take care of him, in return. I spoil him, yes, but it's my way of saying thanks. So, as I was saying, Sesshomaru-sama cares about you. And you care for him. It's going to be hard for both of you to keep yourselves controlled until all of this is over."

Kagura flinched slightly. "Is it that obvious?"

Rin smiled in return. "I'm not stupid, either, nor do _I_ have knotholes for eyes. I can see that you want nothing more than to bear Sesshomaru-sama's pups. Well, you know what? Go right ahead. I promise, I won't get jealous." Rin's smile broadened. "He raised me. I see him more as a father, or maybe an older brother than a mate. I wouldn't want to bring the shame of fathering half-breeds on him. You're a full demon, Kagura-san, and he really cares for you. Please, make him happy. Don't hold back, just let him know!"

Kagura sighed softly, but she still smiled in the smallest. "I wish I could," she whispered. "It's not that simple." The almost-painful depth of Rin's naïveté was both adorable and a burden. "I need to sort myself out first, and I can't afford distractions. Besides, there is also the matter of me possibly dying in this fight. I can't deny it, and I don't want Sesshomaru-sama to become too attached to me. That way, if I die, I won't hurt him. At least, not as badly."

Rin shook her head. "Just try," she urged, standing up. "I know it'll be better in the long run." Kagura watched Rin's retreating back with interest, wondering where the child had gotten such wisdom. It was intriguing. But, she supposed living with Sesshomaru brought lots of philosophical discussions about life and love and emotions and family names and swords and…demons…Kagura shook herself, and flopped over to bury her face in her pillow.

Dinner was going to be so awkward tonight.

**A/N: Review. Do it now.**


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